The climax of the event — which lasted all of about 20 minutes — came early when Diana’s iconic midnight blue velvet off-the-shoulder Victor Edelstein gown was on the block. The people’s princess famously danced with John Travolta in the dress at a White House state dinner in 1985. While estimates said the “Travolta” dress could fetch $1 million, it garnered $800,000.

The night came 14 years to the day Princess Diana attended a pre-party at Christie’s auction house in New York, where her dresses were auctioned off for charity. Maureen Dunkel, a Florida businesswoman who sold the dresses Thursday because she’s now facing bankruptcy, said she paid $870,000 (U.S.) back then.

It was just two months before Diana’s death.

About 100 people filled the room in Waddington’s downtown auction house. For the bidders, there were no paddles, just a discreet gesture of the hand.

A row of employees monitored telephone and Internet bids from all over the world.

One woman sat quietly in the crowd, her hand covering the end of a cellphone. While she wouldn’t divulge who was on the other end, her buyer came away with three dresses in the collection, all designed by Catherine Walker. One was the famed cream silk crepe off-the-shoulder gown worn for a Mario Testino Vanity Fair shoot. It sold for $250,000.

The successful bids generally came in under appraisals, perhaps a surprise for those who thought the recent wave of royal fever and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s pending visit to Canada next week could bolster prices.

But Waddington’s vice president of business development, Stephen Ranger, wasn’t disappointed.

“It’s impossible to predict what prices will be, the rest is up to the buyer,” he said, adding he was delighted with the attention the collection has received the world over.

Designer Kym McKay came for inspiration.

“Her style is just elegant, timeless,” she said. “These dresses could be worn now and that’s the hardest type of design.”

The collection has toured around the world raising money for a charitable foundation started by Dunkel, who was in the room Thursday evening. A portion of proceeds will go to the National Ballet school.

Each buyer will be subject to a premium as well: Twenty per cent of the successful bid price up to $50,000, then 15 per cent on any amount in excess of that.

What they went for

An official statement by Waddington’s for the collection of 14 evening dresses wasn’t immediately available Thursday, but a Star reporter was in the room.

Successful bids went as follows:

• Victor Edelstein’s iconic midnight blue velvet off-the-shoulder gown, which Diana wore when she danced with John Travolta at a White House state dinner in 1985 went for $800,000.